I Have Never Related to Dave Grohl More

Hey, we all get older. It’s true and it happens to everyone. Part of getting older is first not being able to do things you used to do and then second, coming to terms with the fact that you are not able to do the things you used to do. Once you have come to terms with that, then life becomes one big exercise in re-calibrating your expectations.

There’s no need to feel bad though! Like I said, it’s life. It happens to everyone. If you were able to do the things you did in your early 20’s when you were in your late 30’s, then what kind of society would be living in? Well, possibly a more fun one. But realistically, a less responsible one. In life you do things that become memories and the further you get from those memories, the more foreign to you they become. Again, that stuff you did in your 20’s, if you’re in your mid to late 30’s now, how many of your memories of those bygone shenanigans feel familiar to you, feel like something you actually did as opposed to someone who looks like a younger version of yourself did?

I can answer this: probably a lot.

And you add kids to the mix and let’s face it, those things you did when you were younger? It’s just not happening anymore. Oh, you used to be able to drink 12 beers and still be a semi-functioning person? Cool. Do that ten years later and you’re liable to be passed out by beer eight, which is fine because you have a busy day tomorrow.

And it’s funny because it’s true.

Now I bring this up because as was previously stated, we all get a little older and in turn, we all find ourselves just not quite being able to pull off the things we used to be able to do. And by everyone, I mean even our rock ‘n roll heroes.

I’m talking about Dave Grohl. Even my dude is not immune to those perilous pitfalls of getting older, as was evidenced by something that happen at a recent Foo Fighters’ show in Las Vegas.

I think it’s important to run through the clip’s key moments.

First, of course Grohl is out there mixing it up with the fans, getting in close, shaking hands, kissing babies and whatnot. He’s Mr. Approachable. He’s rock music’s Tom Hanks. This is totally something he would do. And then a fan hands him a beer, because of course a fan would, and in turn, of course Grohl would drink it. Yet first Grohl tries to get cute; he tries to multitask (which is also a total Dad move by the way.) He tries to keep playing while drinking the beer, something I have found myself trying to do for the past three and a half years since my daughter was born. I mean, not playing guitar and not always drinking a beer, but doing Dad things, things like holding my daughter, holding a Barbie while catching up on emails or following a Pats’ game on my phone. Dave is trying to pull off the old Dad multitask and for that, Dads everywhere should salute him.

Of course as any Dad can tell you, the Dad multitask rarely works. Usually you spill something, which is what happened to Grohl. His attempt to drink the beer without hands bombed and in another Dad move, rushing to clean up a mess, he elected to just chug the beer. This all makes complete sense. This all makes so much sense. I am with him all the way here. It’s part of those Dad Reaction Muscles that only get stronger the older your kid gets. Something tips, your adrenaline kicks in and everyone get out the way, Dad’s got this (or Mom…or both.) The problem with adrenaline-fueled decisions is that they usually backfire and as you can tell, this is what happened to Dave Grohl.

But Dave, it’s cool. This stuff is going to happen. It’s going to happen because you’re getting older and this was a total, “I’m getting a little older, but I used to do this when I was younger and of course I can do it now and no, no I can’t and now I’m falling” move and it’s going to happen because you were Dad multitasking and as outlined above, that shit never really works. There’s no shame here. It has happened to all of us, albeit in a less public setting (hopefully,) but it has in fact happened to all of us.

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Published by Ryan O'Connell

Ryan harbors a constant fear of losing his keys, prefers flip flops and will always choose cereal if given the choice. He maintains his own blog, Giddy Up America, as well as co-hosts the podcast Differing Opinions on Drake. Ryan is on Twitter: @ryanoconnell79
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